Historical Justice and Memory: Questions of Rights and Accountability in Contemporary Society

Hosted by the Alliance for Historical Dialogue and Accountability (AHDA) program and the Institute for the Study of Human Rights at Columbia University

Historical dialogue and accountability is a growing field of advocacy and scholarship that encompasses the efforts in conflict, post-conflict, and post-dictatorial societies to come to terms with their pasts. In contesting nationalist myths and identities, in examining official historical narratives, and opening them to competing narratives about past violence, historical dialogue seeks to provide analysis of past violence grounded in empirical research; to acknowledge the victims of past violence and human rights abuses; to challenge and deconstruct national, religious, or ethnic memories of heroism and/or victimhood; to foster shared work between interlocutors of two or more sides of a conflict; to identify and monitor how history is misused to divide society and perpetuate conflict; and to enhance public discussion about the past. This conference seeks to consider questions relating to these topics, with primary consideration given to the following themes: sharing sacred spaces; perpetrators as victims; and historical dialogue as part of conflict resolution.

For Information about planning a trip to Columbia University and New York City click here.